Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Lordie, I needed this. Unlike so many new plays these days, the world premiere of Becky Wahlstrom’s delightfully silly A Froggy Becomes from Open Fist doesn’t bombard us with weighty reminders of the massive trials and insurmountable inequities plaguing our fuckedup world, yet it still manages to covertly have something … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA “Faith and force,” as the otherwise deluded Ayn Rand once wrote, “are the destroyers of mankind.” The efforts of director Maria Gobetti to set a fire under Jon Klein’s compelling yet craftily neutral treatise on the true nature of faith as something more than a flawed and rigidly demanding effort … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Under Stephen Sachs’ passionate leadership and sharply fluid direction, LA treasure Ron Bottitta and newcomer Patrick Keleher are mesmerizing as the father and son whose relationship tragically devolves and their lives are forever changed by the boy’s commitment to help spare the very fabric of our democracy. Read more…
Socks Whitmore – Stage Raw With violence on the rise, corruption in the spotlight, and extremist ideologies more polarized than ever, the need for radical change is as palpable as the need for conversation about it. For playwright Nick Salamone and director Jon Lawrence Rivera — the duo behind Playwrights’ Arena’s productions Helen & Billy … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix A fusion of remarkable choreography, dance, music and story, Matthew Bourne’s “Romeo + Juliet” offers a charged take on an age-old tale, one that speaks to being human in a cold, oppressive world where love nonetheless finds a way—however fleetingly. Read more… Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA The … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA A little judicious tweaking and Juan Jose Alfonso’s Middle of the World could be something quite special. In the meantime, the performances of the two leading actors are alone worthy of attention. Read more… Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw Playwright Juan Jose Alfonso’s Middle of the World skillfully encapsulates the … Read more
Terry Morgan – Stage Raw One of the main pleasures of history-based plays is reexamining subjects from a new perspective. The life of Mozart was forever altered in people’s perceptions after Amadeus opened. The term “witch hunt” to describe something other than the Salem trials likely was influenced by The Crucible. John Ross Bowie’s sharply … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive contains all the elements of farce: slamming doors, overheard conversations, accidents, and Chekhovian guns — both literal and figurative. While some moments of this 2022 comedy, now at the Geffen Playhouse, are inspired, they quite often fizzle … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Everything she tries to accomplish is echoed beautifully by Burnham and their design team, making one wonder how much comes from their collaborative efforts and how much is them letting Berlant’s Robin Williams flag unfurl along the way and simply support her in the most professional way possible as they … Read more
Terry Morgan – Stage Raw Playwright Steve Yockey has one of the most original and distinctive voices in modern theater. His work is often suffused with dark humor and weird or supernatural elements, but he’s equally adept with serious issues and relationship drama. He’s quite prolific (Reykjavik, Very Still and Hard to See, and The … Read more